Veganizing Leftover Mashed Potato & Cheese Biscuits

Yeah, you can correctly assume that this leftover-incorporation project was an experiment gone oh, so, tender and right. Being that J. Legume and I were opting for something different this past Thanksgiving, we decided to make what turned out to be a giant batch of mashed potatoes the weekend prior. I’d never foreseen this as an issue before – J. Legume is quite an enthusiast, and I’m all about using leftovers as breaded, Italian-style mashed potato croquettes, just like my mom used to make, except I now bake them vs. frying. With this bout of leftovers, I wanted something new and my google searches were a mess of ugly Shepherd’s pies, been there, done that pancakes, and basically, links to top ten lists of the same three basic recipes and pictures of little kids holding messy spoonful of mashed potatoes. Or something like that. I was actually leaning towards a soup or loaf of bread, when my luck changed with a curiously appropriate recipe for Leftover Mashed Potato Biscuits on Serious Eats (a website that I love to hate because it’s both inspiring annoying, and I clearly just wish I was writing for a vegan version).

What happened next was a success and a veganization that will make it into further rotation, no doubt. I mean, hey, I typed it out and everything.

Preheat oven to 450F. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a small cup, vigorously whisk together the nondairy milk and vinegar with a fork and set aside. Mix together the flour, nutritional yeast, salt, sugar and baking powder in a mixer bowl or food processor (or if you’re a badass, by hand). Add in the margarine in small chunks, and mix until the batter is crumbly. Then pour in the ‘buttermilk’ components of nondairy milk and vinegar, as well as the mashed potatoes. Mix until fairly well combined. Lastly, add the shredded vegan cheese until *just* combined (especially if you want to see the colors swirl). Using flour as needed, gently spread the mixture until ¾ inch in thickness. Using a pizza cutter or long knife, divide into 6 or 8 biscuits, and place on the parchment paper. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden. Serve with additional margarine, or what the hell, steamed kale and gravy, if you please.

These are softer and less flakey than your typical biscuits, but lovely in their own special way.